Height loss is commonly associated with fractures, such as, for example, spinal fractures, typically referred to as vertebral compression fractures. A large segment of osteoporotic patients experience vertebral compression fractures, with an estimated 700,000 such fractures occurring annually. Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that is used to treat vertebral compression fractures using a combination of vertebroplasty utilizing a bone void filler, such as, for example, bone cement with balloon catheter technology. The kyphoplasty procedure restores height of the collapsed spinal bone which diminishes associated back pain.
Kyphoplasty procedures may also be used to treat fractures in other areas of a patient's body, such as, for example, a distal radius of the patient. To treat a distal radius fracture using a kyphoplasty procedure, an inflatable bone tamp (IBT) is utilized. The IBT is used to percutaneously reduce comminuted, articular depressions in a controlled manner. Fracture morphologies, such as, for example, “die-punch” fractures are especially suited for correction by an IBT. IBTs are deployed to a surgical site, such as, for example, a bone defect through a working cannula. IBTs create well-defined voids. After the void is created by the IBT, the IBT is removed from the cannula and a material, such as, for example a bone void filler is delivered through the cannula and into the void. The bone void filler may be used in conjunction with percutaneous pins, ex-fixes, screws and/or plates for fracture fixation.
In conventional kyphoplasty procedures, the IBT is inserted adjacent the bone defect by inserting the IBT through a cannula. An inflatable member of the IBT is expanded to create a void in or adjacent the bone defect. After the IBT creates the void, the IBT is removed from the cannula and a bone void filler is delivered through the cannula to the void in order to at least partially fill the void. It is therefore important that the cannula be properly oriented with respect to the bone defect. In conventional kyphoplasty procedures, the cannula is held at a desired trajectory by a physician or physician's assistant, so that the IBT or bone void filler may be delivered through the cannula to a location adjacent the bone defect or void created by the IBT.
Percutaneous delivery of IBT or bone filler material through the cannula to a bone defect or bone void can be difficult. For example, the IBT or bone void filler material may get stuck in the delivery tool or cannula. Furthermore, the distal end of the cannula must be positioned adjacent to the bone defect or bone void to allow the IBT or bone void filler to be delivered through the cannula to the bone defect or bone void. In some cases there is little soft tissue and/or bony anatomy, e.g. in the distal radius, to hold the cannula in a stable position during delivery of the IBT or bone filler material. To stabilize the cannula, a surgical assistant is often required to provide an extra pair of hands to hold the cannula while a surgeon delivers the IBT or the bone filler material to the bone defect or bone void through the cannula. The present disclosure provides a device that acts as a second pair of hands to hold the cannula at a fixed trajectory to ensure that the cannula is properly positioned relative to the bone defect or bone void. This disclosure describes an improvement over these prior art technologies.